Vice Chancellors of all the public and private universities across the country have opposed the devolution of Higher Education Commission (HEC) to the federating units under 18th amendment. A meeting of the VCs committee held here on Thursday, wherein VCs of 71 public and 62 private sector universities participated. The committee opposed the devolution of HEC and asked for the review of the decision.
The committee while expressing serious concerns demanded of the government to review the decision. They were of the view that the devolution of HEC is tantamount to destroy the higher education and uniformity of the education system in the country.
Addressing a press conference, Chairman Vice Chancellors' Committee and VC UET Peshawar, Imtiaz Gilani said that a letter would be written to Prime Minister and President of Pakistan to appraise about their concern over the devolution of HEC, besides asking to review the devolution of HEC. Imtiaz Gilani further said that its devolution would damage the standard of education in the country. However, being a part of the government, they could not protest against the government decision, Imtiaz Gilani said.
A resolution was passed by the committee, stated that HEC was vital for the development of the country and the existence of HEC as an autonomous, well-funded expert body was fundamental to the continued development and growth of the entire higher education sector.
Imtiaz Gilani further said that the commission has played a crucial role in providing leadership, vision, and credibility to the entire higher education sector. The HEC provides a national voice and recognition to higher education and the success of the sector determines the future of Pakistan as a prosperous, just and industrialised nation.
Since its formation in 2002, the HEC has been extremely effective in revolutionising higher education, which has been internationally recognised and hailed for the role it has played in facilitating the higher education sector in Pakistan to be at par with their international counterparts, he added.
He further said that HEC has placed quality assurance at the centre of the higher education transformation process. As a consequence Pakistani degrees today are recognised equal to their international counterparts, Pakistani higher education graduates are sought by the world's best universities, Pakistani universities are internationally ranked and the IT sector, as an example, in the country is flourishing.
He further said that HEC was a central body that not only maintains uniform academic standards, but ensures compatibility of higher education as an engine of change that conforms to the national development agenda. Such a central body for higher education exists in almost all the developed and developing countries.
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